THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
The men from the tribe of Judah, confronted with this situation, assembled three thousand individuals and approached Samson. They conveyed that they were merely subjects of the Philistines, compelled to submit not of their own volition but out of fear, and hoped to redirect his anger towards those who had coerced them. Samson, in response, declared: “Where is the justice, O descendants of Abraham? Has avenging my wife, who was first deceived and then taken from me, led to my destruction? Am I not capable of seeking retribution without peril? Are you so diminished in spirit and so accustomed to this dishonorable servitude that you offer yourselves up to your oppressors and are willing to risk your lives?
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If death must come, I would gladly embrace it, but I would prefer to face death at the hands of the Philistines who invaded my home and turned my wife against me. I fell victim to their treachery, yet let me be allowed to meet my end by my own terms. I have sought vengeance for the wrong done to me, not administer it. Therefore, assess whether my retribution is truly excessive. They lament the loss of their harvest; I mourn the loss of my wife. Weigh the sheaves in the field against the spouse in the home. My suffering they acknowledged, my grievances avenged. Consider the service they have rendered to you! By their own reckoning, you are to enact the death penalty upon the very one they deem deserving of vengeance for the offense inflicted on him, and whom they have chosen to honor with the duty of retribution.